I'll Be by Your Side
by imfixingmyhair
Summary: SPOILER ALERT!: THIS STORY TAKES PLACE DURING AND AFTER THE WINTER FINALE OF SEASON 2! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK! Asher Millstone gets a wake up call from an unexpected event in his life and an unexpected person coming back into his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

He's Dead

"We always thought that Chloe would be the one to drive us to our graves, not you." Mrs. Millstone spat out towards her son, Asher as she stood up and walked away from him. This was something she hadn't expected. Her husband, Judge William Millstone, had hung himself in his office after information had leaked about the Trotter Lake incident. This was all Asher's fault. She was blaming Asher for everything.

Asher left his parent's giant house and got into his Mercedes. He needed to talk to his sister as soon as he could. Gritting his teeth, Asher dialed the numbers to his the last known number that he had for Chloe. Tears in his eyes, he prayed that she would answer and give him a carefree night away from the madness of his life like she used to when he was in high school.

 _Hey it's Chloe Wright, can't come to the phone right now. I'm out ruining my life and making a disgrace of my family. Oh wait, no I'm not since they forced me to change my last name to protect he family legacy. Leave one._

Had to love Chloe, always resentful towards their parents. Chloe was Asher's older sister of two years. She was the rebellious party girl who spent her time coloring her hair bizarre colors and doing whatever she wanted. She even once brought home a girl to Thanksgiving and claimed at the table that she was in love and was a lesbian. Mrs. Millstone nearly fainted and William, nearly had an aneurism from yelling at her. After that, William made Chloe legally change her last name so she wouldn't have any Millstone named attached to her while she was out being crazy. Chloe, hadn't talked to either of their parents ever since.

"Hey, Chloe, it's Ash. He's dead. Gone..." Those were the only words that younger Millstone child could manage to get out before bursting into tears. He hung up and threw his phone across his car before pounding the wheel and letting out an upset scream.

There was a sudden knock on the window. Asher looked up and his face went white like he had just seen a ghost. There was a girl standing there in a long hippie skirt, long free flowing brown curls, and a long bell sleeved sweater. She had a nose hoop and an intricate chest tattoo. The air left Asher's lungs and he was speechless which was nearly impossible for the young Millstone.

"Hey Ash..." The voice said and Asher suddenly deeply inhaled. He couldn't get the words to leave his mouth.

"Echo..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

I'm Sorry for Everything I've done

Asher looked like he had just seen a ghost. He thought he wouldn't see this girl ever again, but there she stood in the flesh, just as he had remembered her. The innocent smile, the rebellious tattoos, her unruly curls. He rolled down his window, his eyes still bloodshot from crying.

"Echo...? Wha-What are you doing here?" Asher stammered out finally. The girl leaned down to the open window.

"I...I just heard." She said before Asher opened up the door and stepped outside and grabbed her. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began to cry into her shoulder and finally she embraced him. "Shh, It's okay Ash. I'm here." She said as he sobbed. She ran her fingers through his hair and shushed him.

"He's gone. I can't believe this. Mom is blaming me. She threw me out. I don't know what to do." He cried. He could smell her perfume. She still smelled of the same scent when she was around. When she was still his. He looked up at her and without thinking about Bonnie or anything else, he placed his lips on hers like the time hadn't gone by at all.

 _3 years earlier..._

"Welcome to my house. My parents are your typical white bread american suburbanites. Welcome to my hell." Chloe Millstone turned and said to her curly haired companion. They were freshmen at USC and were visiting The Millstone's for Thanksgiving. All of a sudden there was a loud thud and you an angry teenager coming through the door.

"Fuck you guys, I'm the most adult teenager out of all of us!" The boy screamed slamming the door. Chloe smiled big and laughed.

"And this is my nerdy little brother Asher. Ash you ass! Come here and give your older sister some love you preppy bastard!" Chloe walked up to the boy and hugged him before handing him a blunt. "That's primo shit from Cali. Medical grade. Oh this is my friend Echo, she and I are in the same liberal arts class. Her family grow this shit and they are righteous. I'm going to fuck with mom and dad and say she's my girlfriend and I'm a lesbian. I can't wait to see mom's face." Chloe laughed loudly motioning to Echo to join her. Echo walked up to join Chloe and Asher.

"It's really nice to meet you. Chloe has told me so much about you." Echo smiled sweetly beneath her mess of curls. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a crop top. Her body was covered in different tattoos. She was wearing a pair of knee high flat boots with fringe. Asher smiled back and shook her hand. She was one of the prettiest girls he had ever met and of course he would never tell her. She was his sister's friend. His sister would kill him for even thinking it.

"You as well. Thanks for the present." Asher gave a boyish smile before running upstairs to put his things up from school and laying down on his bed. The only thing he could think of Echo.

 _Present time..._

Echo Roberts was shocked at what was happening. Asher was kissing her. She didn't know what to do; the last time she had seen him, she was telling him that she was dropping out of school to join a band and he was telling her that something had happened at Trotter Lake. She was confused and hurt.

Echo returned the kiss to Asher and when Echo broke the kiss it looked like Asher was in a trance.

"Ash...you're just upset about your dad. I know you don't want this." She spoke up finally. Asher looked at Echo and shook his head. When she had broken up with him after the incident at Trotter Lake, Asher had really felt what heartbreak was. She was his first love and he didn't think he'd ever see her again after that and now she was right in front of him, his Echo, his everything, and she was here to console him.

"Echo you came back. You left and I never thought you'd come back. That's gotta count for something right?" He said in a hopeful voice. Echo shook her head and sighed.

"No Ash, it's not like that; well it is like that but not like how you're thinking. I came to make sure you were okay since I had heard about your dad." Echo said before backing up a little. If she kept close to Asher it'd only be a matter of time before she wound up back in his arms and in his bed.

Asher tensed up and shook his head. He was an idiot. Of course she hadn't come back for him, but at least she had come. He got back into his car and started it up.

"Of course, sorry I disappointed you." He said speeding off. He was now on a mission. To get to the bottom of everything that had to do with his father's death.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

You'll Hear Me Calling

"I didn't know it was going to happen Echo. I was with you the entire time. My dad is covering it up so it doesn't affect either of our lives. I was protecting us or else they'll come looking for you too." A younger Asher Millstone told his girlfriend of two years, Echo Roberts.

Echo was in disbelief. The innocent, goofy boyfriend she knew and loved was now being accused of being in a gang rape of a girl named Tiffany Howard, a girl she could barely remember from a month ago. Her and Asher had been throwing a party celebrating Asher getting into Middleton Law School. She remembered getting so drunk that her and Asher went into his room and had done the deed for the first time. It was Asher's first time but Echo was a seasoned veteran.

"Ash...I dropped out of school and I'm going on the road with my band. I'm not coming back anytime soon. I'm so sorry." Echo said getting up and walking towards the door.

"Why? What does this leave us? You're not going to visit me anymore? I can visit you on the road." Asher said in almost a pleading voice. Here she was, his perfect ray of sunshine and now she was leaving. He could feel his heart shatter.

"It's over Asher. We're leading two different lives. I want you to do great in law school, do it for yourself. I'm letting you go live your life." She said before leaning in and kissing him one last time before turning and walking out of the front door of his apartment on Middleton's campus.

"Echo please! Come back!" Asher ran to the door but by the time he got the door open, Echo's car was gone. Asher slammed the door and called Echo's phone but got no answer.

 _Hey it's Echo, Sorry I can't come to the phone. Leave one at the beep._

"Echo, I need you. I'm sorry for what is going on. Please come back. I love you." He pleaded into her voicemail.

 _Present Day_

Thinking about everything and how it ended with Echo just made Asher upset. He was going to propose to her that Christmas. Now his father was dead and he was dating a murderer. He loved Bonnie, don't get him wrong, but you never forget your first. He sped his Mercedes up and headed to the one place he knew he'd get some answers, the police station.

Emily Sinclair was on a mission; she was going to bring down Annaliese Keating if it was the last thing she did. After confronting Nate Lahey after hearing about Lahey's harassment case against her, she dropped her case against him. She packed up her suitcase with her documents and files, said goodbye to the captain and walked to her car.

She was dead. Asher called Echo on the number he had for her. He didn't know what to do. Hearing the phone ring, his heart pounded and hoped she would pick up.

"Ash? That you?" Echo said in a quiet voice. She was walking to her car from consoling Mrs. Millstone when her cell phone rang. A picture of her and Asher together and kissing popped up when it did.

"Echo, I fucked up. I need you. I know I said this before but I really need you now." Asher rambled confused into the phone. He was sweating and shaking from what he had just done.

"Asher I need you to calm down. What happened? Talk to me please." Echo sounded worried. The only time he ever sounded worried was when he was telling her about the whole situation with Tiffany Howard. She was now worried about what he was going to say to her. With Asher it could be anything to knocking up a girl to failing an exam.

"Never mind. Sorry I bothered you. This isn't you job to worry about me anymore." Those were the only words Echo heard from him before the line went dead.

 **Author's Notes: Feel free to review! I'd love to hear from my readers. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. I'll be posting more now that Thanksgiving is over with! Thanks for keeping tabs and following! :)**


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